19 Comments

Song MeaningThis is definitely about physical abuse towards a child. The lyric: "They say time is a healer / And now my wounds are not the same," implies that the child who goes back to his father now has emotional wounds, whereas before he had physical wounds. Therefore, he was being physically abused.

Generally speaking, if a father is beating his kids, he's beating his wife, too, but just because the mother is crying here does not necessarily mean she was being beaten; she might simply be crying because the child is being beaten. If I had to put money on it, though, I'd say she was being abused, as well.

Sadly, even though the child eventually left to get away from the abuse, the mother did not go with him, and he still instinctually seeks the approval of his scumbag of a dad. Great song.

Yeah I agree! WHY did the mum put up with that and NOT protect her SON??!! As a mother of 2 I would never ever let my children be abused no matter what the circumstances and would do anything to protect them! I cannot understand how any mother can turn a blind eye to any pain and suffering her child is going through, but unfortunately it does happen :-(

General Comment"Soon I was living with the fear everyday/Of what might happen that night"

Anyone who grew up in an abusive household should be able to relate to this. My father was an alcoholic who abused my mother frequently. I can remember being in Catholic grade school and sitting alone in the bathroom stalls feeling the anxious dread of knowing what the night would bring.

General CommentThis is a song about child abuse - the need to deal with your experiences and an abused child growing up and dealing with those experiences and trying to sort out and fathom the realationship with the abuser - here a parent - so there's a love / hate thing going on

General Commentit does not have to be about abuse, in fact i think it isn't because for that it's too weak an emotion displayed here. i think it's about a father who keeps his family under control, beats his wife, does not reason with anyone but tells them what to do and not to do. he cannot be changed or overcome, so the son has to flee, cut the connection. but his father cannot forgive him escaping his rule.

General Commentyeah i think its a safer bet to go with the second opinion here. theres nothing to say this father figures hand was raised against anyone but the mother. i agree entirely with the rest of the song bein the need to find out whether things had changed due to the son leavin and this bein proved right by the father not accepting the childs existance on his return. i guess the father figure was blind to the reasons for him son leaving instead taking it only to be a sign that the child didnt respect the family enough to be part of it anymore. good video for this one.

General CommentIf you don't want the father to be the bad guy, the song could just mean a run away, rebellious son. He was going through standard teen issues and decides to run away. The mother crying is just her disappointed with her son, probably because he has been in trouble. The father just refuses to accept the son back for abandoning the family and running away from his problems.

General CommentSomething did go wrong there, how can you explain "I didn't think much about it
til it started happening all the time
soon I was living with the fear everyday
of what might happen that night" with the last explanation?

General CommentI totally agree with you, Timboh. I think it's about a father abusing his son; but it could just as well be a husband abusing his wife. I thought the lines "I didn't think much about it til it started happening all the time soon I was living with the fear everyday of what might happen that night" ment every night he was afraid his father would hurt him; but that's just my opinion.